Spring-needle knitting-machine



'E. A. HIRNER.

SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

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E. A. HlRNER.

SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31. 1919.

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INVENTOR 4 1' v ATTORNEYS.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL A. HJIINER, OF ALLEN TOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-NEEDLE KNITTING-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10,1920.

Application filed January 31, 1919. Serial No. 274,160.

spring beard needles are employed. a

. The invention is directed to a simplified mechanism for actuating the spring beards 0f the needles during the stitch forming operation.

To thisend the invention includes a beard presser element which is supported in fixed relation to the needles, and cooperative means whereby the needles are deflected outwardly at the region of stitch formation, so that as they recede to draw new loops, their beards are projected into engagement with the presser element, and closed. Associated with the needles isa corresponding series of web supporters, which, in addition to performing their usual functions, are further instrumental in deflecting the needles as above noted. This additional function allotted the web supporters is performed, according to my invention, coincidently with their retraction to permit the descent of the needles in formed loops.

The coordinated elements which constitute the organization by which I attain these ends will be more readily understood from the detailed description which follows.

igure I, is a sectional vertical view of a circular knitting machine conveniently embodying my invention. I

Fig. II, is a diagrammatic illustration showing the relation of the knitting elements as they would appear when developed upon a lane surface.

Fig. I, is a detail plan view illustrating the mannerin which the needles are deflected outwardly at the region of stitch formation so that their spring beards are closed by engagement with the presserring.

Fig. view through the upper portion of the needle cylinder showm the knitting elements in the process of orming a stitch.

Fig. V, is a similar View illustrating the passing through the previously 1s an enlarged detailsectionalrelation of the knittin elements directly after a stitch has been Eormed, and

1g. VI, is a detail sectional view alon the line VI I, in Fig. IV, showing the manner in which a needle is deflected through the action of its cooperative sinker.

In these illustrations, I have shown a circular knitting machine in .its simplest embodiment, a'll subordinate and adjunctive devices such as the oscillating mechanism, and fashioning instrumentalities ordinarily employed in connection with the knitting elements proper having been purposely omitted, because my invention may be used in connection with any approved form of such devices. The machine herein illustrated is of the type in which organized, stationary actuating cams and rotating needle cylinders.

eferring now in detail to the drawings, the needle cylinder 1, is seated within an annular recession 2, of the bed plate 3, of the machine, screws 5-5, in this instance as convenient fastening means. The cam cylinder 6, is adapted to revolve in concentricity with the axis of the needle. cylinder and to this end its peripheral gear flange 7, is rotatively guided in the annular channel 8, of the bed plate, retention being effected by an overlapping ring 9, screwed fast to said plate. The cam cylinder is rotated by means of a bevel ear 10, fast upon the driving shaft 11, w ich is journaled in a fixed bracket 12, and provided with the customary tight and loose pulleys 13, and 14, respectively.

The needle cylinder is radially grooved to guide the needles 15, which are retained therein by a rigid encircling band 4. The needles are actuated by a typical oup' of knitting cams such as represented iagrammatically'in Fig. II. In stocking knitters, such a cam group consists of alternatel operative stitch cams 16, and 17 symmetrically disposed with respect to a lower center cam Cooperatively associated, with the stitch cams is a floating upper ocnter cam 19, having capacity for automatically shifting into coincidence with either of the said stitch cams depending upon the direction of rotation of the cam cylinder. For convenience of illustration, the cam cylinafforded by der has been arbitrarily represented as rotating in the direction of the arrow in Fig. II, with the floating center cam 19, in registry with stitch cam 17. As a result of this arrangement, the needles are obliged to trace the characteristic wave path in forming the fabric stitches. The cam cylinder is further supplemental by guard cams 20, and 21, functional after a manner well understood.

For the purpose of closing the spring beards 24, of the needles, I have provided a presser ring 25, which is superimposed upon the, series of web holders hereinafter described and has the cross-sectional profile cleanly shown in Figs. I, IV, and V. Its inwardly projecting bulge 26, is provided with receding beveled surfaces 27, to facilitate cooperation with the needle beards. Normally the needle beards are entirely clear of the presser ring as shown in Fig. V, but at the region of the stitch formation, the upper ends of the needles are deflected outwardly so that their beards are closed by contact with the presser ring through the action of the web supporters 30, in a manner to be described later.

Fixed to the upper part of the needle cylinder is a dial plate 31, which is grooved radially to receive the web supporters, the latter alternating as usual with the needles. These web holders are of the rocking type and are accordingly provided with rounded fulcrum projections 32', which are seated within a common peripheral receiving groove 33, formed in the needle cylinder. Booking is effected by means of a cam 35, which depresses the tail ends 36, of the web holders as shown in Figs. I and IV. This cam is fixed upon a cap ring 37, which is recessed to..fit over "the top of the dial plate 31. Except within the region of the influence of thedepressing cam 35, the supporters are held in their normal pro ected positions (Fig. V, and left of Fig. I) through the aid of a cam ledge 38, on the inwardly pro'ecting horizontal flange of the cap piece 31 which engages within the notches 39, formed in the holders. As a result of this rocking motion, the web engaging nibs 40, of the holders are projected and retracted with respect to the needles during the knitting operation'in the known way.

The cap ring 37 is rotated in unison with the cam cylinder through a projection 41, which engages a bracket 42, fixed to the said cylinder.

The presser ring 25, is radially slotted as at 28-28, to guide the upper ends of web supporters. It is also to be noted that this element has no support other than that the web holders themselves, which, by virtue of their radial disposal within the presser ring, maintain the latter properly centered and immune against lateral displacement. The yarn is fed to the needles through a guide 45, which is fulcrumed at 46, to the bracket 42, so as to be capable of being swung back to facilitate threading.

In addition to their normal cooperation with the needles, the web supporters perform the additional function of deflecting the needles outwardly into engagement with the presser ring to close the sprin beards at the region of stitch formation. 11 order to accomplish this purpose, the said holders have been provided wi h lateral projections 34, which engage behind the needle shanks as represented in Fig. VI. The cylinder has been appropriately grooved as at 50, to afford the necessary clearance for the operation of the projections. By reference to Figs. IV, and V, it will be noted that the upper ends of the needle shanks are substantially reduced between the main shank and the spring beard in order to yield readily to deflection and the root of the bend is determined by the rigid needle retaining band 4, the bending pressure being applied to the reduced member. Thus coincidentally with the retraction of the web supporters to permit the drawing of a new loop, the needles are deflected outwardly into engagement with the presser ring as shown in Fig. IV, and their beards held closed while passing through the previously formed loops. The presser ring has been slightly notched as indicated at 29, to steady the needle beards against lateral vibration during the act of closure and thus prevent crystallization, (see Fig. III).

The combined action of these several elements will perhaps be best understood by reference to Fig. II, and may be briefly described as follows:

It will be noted from this figure that the linear extent of the depressing cam 35, for the web supporters corresponds substantially with that of the declivity of needle wave at the stitch formin region, so that only a few needles are deflected at a time. Moreover, by virtue of the sharp angle of the receding needles, whentaken in connection with the comparatively shallow bulge band of the presser ring, the needle beards directly affected are still less in number in comparison to those in the field influenced by the action of the web supporter depressing cam. The beards of the needles are protected by this arrangement, against execssive wear.

While I have employed the term, web holders, both in the specification and claims, I do not wish to be confined to an element strictly functional as such, since any other similar instrumentalities, for example, as are comprehensible in the term sinkers, may be adapted to perform the additional function of deflecting the needles as herein described. Moreover, such devices may be of either a rocking or a sliding type, the former having been chosen in the present instance merely for convenience of illustration.

Having thus described my claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder; a series of spring beard needles carried by the same; a group of actuating cams for said needles; a beard presser ring fixed with relation to said needles; a series of web supporters arranged in alternation with the needles; and means whereby the retraction of a web supporter to permit descent of its adjacent needle occasions the outward deflection of the upper end of said needle, whereby its beard is brought into engagement with said presser ring.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of spring beard needles; a beard presser element, fixed with relation to said needles; a series of yveb holders associated with the needles; and means whereby said web holders deflect the needles outwardly to close their beards through contact with the said beard presser element.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination of a series of spring beard needles; a group of actuating cams therefor; a beard presser element common to the said needles; a web holder associated with each needle and provided with a projection for engaging the corresponding needle, whereby, when the web holder is retracted to permit the drawing of a new fabric loop, the cooperative invention, I

said needles; and means for needle is deflected so that its beard is closed by contact with the presser element.

In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder; a series of spring beard needles; and an alternating series of web supporters, both carried by the needle cylinder; and a beard presser ring having its under side radially slotted to correspond to the web supporters, one of which is received into each slot whereby the said presser ring is supported by and centered by said web supporter.

n a circular knitting machine, the combination. of a needle cylinder; a series of spring beard needles carried thereby, each needle having its upper member reduced between the main shank and the spring beard; a needle retaining band, encircling said cylinder and in contact with the nonreduced shank of the needles; a grou of actuating cams for the needles; a bear presser ring fixed with relation to applying bendmg pressure to deflect individual needles I outwardly, whereby their beards are closed through contact with said presser ring; said pressure being applied to the reduced part of each member, whereby the bending is substantially confined to said reduced part.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Allentown, Pa., this 28th day of January, 1919.

HORACE O. WARMKEssEL, HOWARD S'r 

